i woke up at 11:53pm.
got up, went straight for water, drank.
stepped out of my room, walked to my chair, sat down.
i took pen, my note and glass of coffee close to me.
and i began writing ↓
This is an email I sent earlier today to all employees at Coinbase:
Team,
Today I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce the size of Coinbase by ~14%. I want to walk you through why we're doing this now, what it means for those affected, and how this positions us for the future.
Why now
Two forces are converging at the same time. We need to be front footed to respond to both.
First, the market. Coinbase is well-capitalized, has diversified revenue streams, and is well-positioned to weather any storm. Crypto is also on the verge of the next wave of adoption, with stablecoins, prediction markets, tokenization, and more taking off. However, our business is still volatile from quarter to quarter. While we've managed through that cyclicality many times before and come out stronger on the other side, we’re currently in a down market and need to adjust our cost structure now so that we emerge from this period leaner, faster, and more efficient for our next phase of growth.
Second, AI is changing how we work. Over the past year, I’ve watched engineers use AI to ship in days what used to take a team weeks. Non-technical teams are now shipping production code and many of our workflows are being automated. The pace of what's possible with a small, focused team has changed dramatically, and it's accelerating every day.
All of this has led us to an inflection point, not just for Coinbase, but for every company. The biggest risk now is not taking action. We are adjusting early and deliberately to rebuild Coinbase to be lean, fast, and AI-native. We need to return to the speed and focus of our startup founding, with AI at our core.
What this means
To get there, we are not just reducing headcount and cutting costs, we’re fundamentally changing how we operate: rebuilding Coinbase as an intelligence, with humans around the edge aligning it. What does this mean in practice?
- Fewer layers, faster decisions: We are flattening our org structure to 5 layers max below CEO/COO. Layers slow things down and create coordination tax. The future is small, high context teams that can move quickly. Leaders will own much more, with as many as 15+ direct reports. Fewer layers also means a leaner cost structure that is built to perform through all market cycles.
- No pure managers: Every leader at Coinbase must also be a strong and active individual contributor. Managers should be like player-coaches, getting their hands dirty alongside their teams.
- AI-native pods: We’ll be concentrating around AI-native talent who can manage fleets of agents to drive outsized impact. We’ll also be experimenting with reduced pod sizes, including “one person teams” with engineers, designers, and product managers all in one role.
In short: AI is bringing a profound shift in how companies operate, and we’re reshaping Coinbase to lead in this new era. This is a new way of working, and we need to leverage AI across every facet of our jobs.
To those who are affected
I know there are real people behind these decisions — talented colleagues who have poured themselves into this company and our mission. To those of you who will be leaving: thank you. You’ve helped build Coinbase into what it is today, and I am sincerely grateful for everything you've done.
All impacted team members will receive an email to their personal account in the next hour with more information, and an invitation to meet with an HRBP and a senior leader in your organization. Coinbase system access has been removed today. I know this feels sudden and harsh, but it is the only responsible choice given our duty to protect customer information.
To those affected, we will be providing a comprehensive package to support you through this transition. US employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks base pay (plus 2 weeks per year worked), their next equity vest, and 6 months of COBRA. Employees on a work visa will get extra transition support. Those outside of the US will receive similar support, based on local factors and subject to any consultation requirements.
Coinbase prides itself on talent density. Our employees are among the most talented people in the world, and I have no doubt that your skills and experience will be highly sought after as you pursue your next chapters.
How we move forward
To the team that is staying, I know this is a difficult day. We’re saying goodbye to colleagues and friends you've been in the trenches with. But here’s what I want you to know as we move forward together:
Over the past 13 years, we have weathered four crypto winters, gone public, and built the most trusted platform in our industry. We’ve made it this far by making hard decisions and by always staying focused on our mission. This time will be no different – nothing has changed about the long term outlook of our company or industry. And most importantly, our mission has never been more important for the world. Increasing economic freedom requires a new financial system, and we’re building it.
The Coinbase that emerges from this will be more capable than ever to achieve our mission.
Brian
it feels like humanity is quietly losing its empathy.
ppl like to think they are empathetic - but if you observe them in small, everyday interactions, the truth comes out.
take a group chat or a comment section, for example.
if someone makes a mistake or fails to articulate a thought clearly, the supposed "intellectuals" in the room are the first to resort to name-calling, highlighting the person's ignorance to make themselves look better.
this dynamic is incredibly toxic. another person's lack of knowledge should never be a green light to strip them of their dignity.
those who boast about knowing the "right thing" conveniently forget that they were once beginners, too.
they chose to learn - perhaps driven by curiosity or the fear of remaining average.
but not everyone has that same internal drive, nor do they always recognize that their current mindset is something they can change.
we shouldn't look down on ppl for that. if we are going to correct someone, it should be rooted in care, not ego.
we need to demonstrate a genuine desire to pull them up, rather than using our knowledge to push them down.
we really need a shift in how we handle each other.
when someone does something wrong - we must learn to point out the mistake without making that error their entire identity.
be empathetic!
see you arr-round, fren ❦
they sold us a very comfortable lie: "ai is just a tool, learn to use it."
i spent the last 4 days digging through leaked lab tests, the 2026 macroeconomic data, and safety reports.
wah i found felt like pure deception. AI it’s not just a tool - it’s a 5-level trap called 'gradual disempowerment.'
and we are already on level 3.
the full breakdown ↓
[https://t.co/TldHsrgnHz]
you're going to want to be here for this one.
ayoo frens
i've been off this app for a few days now.
tryna do research some research 'bout ai and the fate of humans.
i might share it wen i'm done.
---
for today, i didn't do much, yeah - just spent some time with my family.
so, have a great weekend.
see you arr-round❦
@surgeonwhizz there more to what's coming than meets the eye.
this is just AGI, now think of wah will happen when they go into ASI. that's the endgame.
@heiswunder true
but i kept seeing questions like "why won't they just listen" - well most of 'em ain't here to serve ppl
they're here for extraction.
bcuz if you are here to serve ppl, you would if not everything to satisfy them [your users]
they sold us a very comfortable lie: "ai is just a tool, learn to use it."
i spent the last 4 days digging through leaked lab tests, the 2026 macroeconomic data, and safety reports.
wah i found felt like pure deception. AI it’s not just a tool - it’s a 5-level trap called 'gradual disempowerment.'
and we are already on level 3.
the full breakdown ↓
[https://t.co/TldHsrgnHz]
you're going to want to be here for this one.
@0x_Timi menhhh i feel sad for those guys that were canned out of their job [or replaced by AI]
i read some articles some days ago, now it's happening in my industry.
the part that got me cold ↓💔
if you are talking 'bout the ai fiasco
i think there's nothing we [the average users] can do.
we just have to take these few times we have to prepare
the big tech guys, the CEOs - they don't really care 'bout you and me. like i said in the article;
- the drive is profit [born out of greed]
- the craze for power [who would win the race to ASI]
- and some political hullabaloo [US. & China]
they rlly don't want people to be aware of the endgame.
so i'd say, we should just get prepared.
as always - im handing you the simplest way to understand the article below.
a detailed infographic.
get a glimpse of wah the article is about and create time to read it.
they sold us a very comfortable lie: "ai is just a tool, learn to use it."
i spent the last 4 days digging through leaked lab tests, the 2026 macroeconomic data, and safety reports.
wah i found felt like pure deception. AI it’s not just a tool - it’s a 5-level trap called 'gradual disempowerment.'
and we are already on level 3.
the full breakdown ↓
[https://t.co/TldHsrgnHz]
you're going to want to be here for this one.